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McDonald’s To Start Selling Beer In South Korea

A McDonald's restaurant in Seongnam, South Korea, is planning to sell draft beer with its gourmet hamburgers starting on Feb. 22.

While the fast-food chain serves alcohol in some European countries, this is the first time that McDonald's will be selling booze in Asia since it closed a Hong Kong restaurant in 2004, notes NBC News.

The beer will only be available to people who buy a "Signature Burger." Those customers can substitute a beer for the regular soda via an upgrade charge.

A "Signature Burger" is a $6 do-it-yourself burger that McDonald's already offers at 20 other stores in the country.

A 2014 study found that South Korean residents drink more alcohol than any country -- about 14 shots a week compared to America, where the average is about 3 shots.

According to FoxNews.com, McDonald's wants to appeal to younger customers who have been drifting away; the legal drinking age in South Korea is 19 years old.

McDonald's would have a problem selling booze in the U.S. where the drinking age is 21 because many of the chain's employees are younger.

Some areas of the country will allow 18-year-old workers to serve select types of alcohol, but McDonald's is known to hire high school kids.